In April 2006, Irvington's East Washington Street Corridor between Emerson Avenue and Edmondson Avenue was designated a FOCUS (Fostering Commercial Urban Strategies) by the City of Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation). IDO received funding for a full time staff person, Amandula Henry and a tool kit of resources and grants to help revitalize E. Washington Street's Business District.
Washington Street Economic Development Plan
In April 2007, a group of residents, property owners, businesses and developers came together to work with Development Concepts Inc. to begin to strategically tackle how IDO, the Irvington Community, City of Indianapolis and the public and private sector energize the E. Washington Street Business District. The E. Washington Street Economic Development plan focuses on growing specific programs, policies and activation projects.
For more information on the plan or to get involved, contact Amandula Henry, Corridor Development Director, and 317-260-0669.
Commercial Façade Improvement Rebate Program
Learn how you can receive design and construction assistance; PLUS up to 50% of your total project costs reimbursed to improve the façade of your building. Applications are available in early February 2008 – contact Amandula Henry to get on the list for prospective projects in 2008.
Brownfield Redevelopment Fund
Through a partnership with the City of Indianapolis and Local Initiative Support Corporation, groups can receive grants up to $10,000 to remove environmental barriers to spur redevelopment. Non profit and for profit entities are eligible to apply.
Indy Site Finder
The Indy Site Finder (ISF) is a multiple listing service for commercial, industrial and retail properties within Indianapolis. Integrated into the City's GIS mapping data, ISF allows visitors to obtain demographic information, business data, maps and information to encourage redevelopment of vacant or underutilized sites.
Technical Assistance Program
The Technical Assistance Program is designed to build the capacity of nonprofits and business owners. These small grants can be used to do a variety of projects to help strengthen programs, hiring consultants and marketing expertise. To find out if your project meets these guidelines, contact Amandula Henry.
Tenant Recruitment Program
It is constantly a challenge for revitalizing urban areas to recruit and retain quality merchants along the business districts. The Tenant Recruitment Program strives to recruit businesses that compliment the desired business district and surrounding neighborhood. This program is available to any commercial property owner along Washington Street between Emerson Avenue and Shadeland Avenue; that is interested in IDO's assistance in attracting businesses to your site. To learn more about this program, contact Amandula Henry
About FOCUS
The FOCUS Initiative is designed to stimulate retail and commercial opportunities. To maximize investment and activity, this program combines specialized corridor staffing, business development, community building, marketing, and beautification projects to transform these areas into thriving neighborhood business districts. To learn more about other FOCUS Programs, visit www.focusindy.com.
